Le monde ne suffit pas

The first time I saw this in the cinema in '99, I remember actively disliking it - the first time I'd had that reaction to a new Bond release. I saw it a second time at the cinema, and disliked it less - but still wasn't keen. Now, in the dying days of 2002, and quaking with hatred for - and disappointment at - 'Die Another Day', I re-evaluated TWINE for a second time. And I have to say, compared to this year's farce, TWINE is bathed in a golden glow. In terms of character development, plausibility (always tenuous in Bond films, but still), acting, and script, TWINE is far and away and without a shadow of doubt superior to 'Die Another Day'. Above all, this is a Bond film that does occasionally treat its audience like they have brain cells, rather than a ghastly exercise in sci-fi pretensions with MTV production values.

The opening sequence reveals itself to be one of the very best in the series, taut and exciting, flawlessly directed and perfectly executed. There's nothing else in the film that can quite top it, but some inspired casting helps immeasurably. Sophie Marceau is superb, and it's great to see Robbie Coltrane reprise Valentin Zukovsky, who bags many of the best lines. Judy Dench as 'M' is given a high profile in this entry, which is all to the good as she's clearly the best thing to happen to the Bond films in the Brosnan era. Alas, Desmond Llwelyn makes his final appearance as 'Q' - it would be thus even had he not died the following year - and his exit is well-handled.touching, even. On the downside, Robert Carlyle is not quite convincing as Renard, but it barely matters as Marceau is so firmly in control. Denise Richards isn't as bad as she's been made out to be - indeed, she actually seems smarter and less bland than Halle Berry in DAD.

Plot and action sequences throughout the film are deftly handled, but there are some areas where TWINE seems a little derivative, cheerfully looting the Bond back catalogue, for example in the Caucasus skiing sequence which fuses together action setpieces from YOLT and OHMSS. There are also moments of alarming silliness more redolent of the 1970s and '80s, such as the scene with John Cleese making his debut as future-'Q' and all scenes with Goldie in as Bullion. And for those of us who aren't fans of Pierce Brosnan, there's plenty to annoy - excessive jaw-clenching, lots of posing, inherent charmlessness. I'm sure he's lovely in real life, mind.

Generally, though this is a competent entry in the series, and its attempts at depth just about succeed. It is also the most `how'-and-`why'-proof Bond film since the 1960s, a refreshing change from those Bond films that arrogantly command the audience to suspend their beliefs and do all the maths themselves. Quite why it all went wrong three years later is anyone's guess, but I blame 'XXX' and a continuing adoration of 'The Matrix'.

Until now, this was the only James Bond film in the official EON series I had not watched. Having just now done so with Mom, we consider this one of the most entertaining of the series in recent times. Pierce Brosnan, in only his third time as 007, seems to get better each time he portrayed Bond, James Bond. Among the rest of the cast Sophie Marceau is aces as Electra King whose story is one that's filled with great surprises, that's for sure! Robert Carlyle is also fine as Renard. As for Denise Richards as nuclear scientist Dr. Christmas Jones, well, she does well enough for what she's supposed to do and isn't too distracting a presence considering. Also, nice return of Robbie Coltrane from GoldenEye. Also great to once again see Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Moneypenny, and, for what turned out to be his very last time, Desmond Llewelyn as Q. His character here introduces former Monty Pythoner John Cleese as his assistant and possible replacement about whom Bond asks Q if he's called "R". Mr. Llewelyn, unfortunately, died in a car accident a few weeks after this movie premiered. He was often one of the most entertaining parts of all these JB flicks starting with From Russia with Love to this one (though it should be noted he was absent in Live and Let Die). Great entertaining set-pieces throughout and fine backstory concerning some of the characters. For both Mom and me, The World is Not Enough is fine Bond entertainment.

A lot of people have already commented intelligently here on the general suckitude of this movie. I would just add a few thoughts.

It's true that the recent Bond films are choking on the formula. But it's not the idea of a formulaic Bond film that's at fault here. Indeed, the Bond formula is the most established, specific, franchised formula in film history, complete with obligatory plot twists, locale changes and even obligatory dialogue in mandatory scenes. But that's not the problem. The problem is that the inbred idiots in the Broccoli family who own the Bond franchise and who have final script and creative authority, choose (I think deliberately) to give us Bond films of the lowest common denominator, trying to maximize bottom line profit by making the films as dumb and over the top as possible. They choose to remain faithful only to those aspects of the formula that would seem to guarantee commercial success. Those formula points are:

1) Action set pieces that are determined to one-up all previous Bond action set pieces in terms of craziness, speed, and death-defying stunts, but to the point where they lose all credibility.

For example, Pierce's speedboat chase in TWINE, or his motorcycle leap off the cliff into the plane cockpit in Goldeneye are so ridiculous that you have to laugh at them. I just shook my head in disbelief when I saw that speedboat chase, which was way over-the-top to begin with, morph into a hot air balloon stunt, I could almost hear the Broccoli family having a round table discussion, saying "Hey, then we could move the action into a balloon! Huh? Isn't that nuts! Who wouldn't love to see Bond in a hot-air balloon!" By contrast, just about any car or boat chase from the Connery era is much simpler, more plausible, and ultimately more fun to watch on repeat viewings because it won't dissolve into farce.

2. A beautiful woman with a funny name.

Hey, I love Bond girls as much as anyone else. And the funny names are great. But didn't they use to act better? And have more to do? And be sophisticated? Denise Richards seems to be best suited for a poster. She's a respected nuclear physicist like I'm an Olympic figure skater.

3. Updating the Bond "look" to reflect whatever is currently on top of the charts.

The mangled version of the Bond theme was disgusting. Giving him a German car because BMWs are cool is stupid. He's a Brit for Gods sake. Bond is cool because he's COOL. He has actual Mojo. It's not the brand of Vodka he swills, or who designed his suit. Leave well enough alone.

Basically, this franchise is headed down the toilet. It's circling the bowl as we speak. They'll always make money, but the experience is changing. These days, going to a Bond film is like going to a Circus. You're going so you can Ooh and Aah at something, not to watch a coherent movie with things like characters and plot.

Remember when these films were spy movies first, action movies later? Remember the whole train sequence in From Russia With Love, where Bond plays a game of wits with the evil spy? Remember the great chemistry with Connery and Honor Blackman in Goldfinger? Remember how Connery or Moore could make a line classic just with great delivery, instead of having "great" one-liners scripted in advance?

In short, remember when these movies were good?

I first saw this in the early 2k on cable tv.

Revisited it recently.

This is the nineteenth in the Bond series and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

In this one Bond is assigned to protect an oil tycoon's daughter who had previously been held for ransom by an ex KGB turned terrorist. During this assignment, Bond unravels a scheme to increase petroleum prices by triggering a nuclear meltdown in the waters of Istanbul.

This one has an amazing pre credit scene (not the lousy window jump sequence). The boat chase sequence is amazeballs.

The villain, Reynard, is truly sinister n Carlyle did a fine job but his character ain't developed well.

The story ain't engrossing n none of the henchmen is memorable.

This time Bond faces Reynard who is hell bent on causing chaos n destruction.

Bond faces many henchmen, Gabor, Mr. Bullion, etc. But the most noteworthy is the attractive cigar girl (Giulietta da Vinci).

Bond gets to cool off with Serena Scott Thomas, Denise Richards and Sophie Marceau.

Some info on Reynard: His real name was Victor Zokas n his childhood was particularly traumatic as he was raised in poverty.

At the age of fourteen, he ran away from home and joined the Soviet Army. Due to his vicious nature n brutal methods, he was given a place in the KGB. Due to his cunning and effectively discrete ways, he got the nickname, "Renard The Fox".

Aft his expulsion from the KGB due to his evident mental instability, Zokas took "Renard" alias and became one of the world's most feared terrorists.

It was 009 who shot Reynard in the head n although a doctor was able to save Renard's life, he was unable to extract the bullet from his patient's skull. Due to its retention within his brain matter, Reynard lost most of his senses and pain was never felt by him.

This allowed him to push himself much further than the ordinary human limits.

Pierce Brosnan returns in the 19th Bond adventure in which 007 is sent to protect Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of a murdered oil tycoon who was also an old friend of M (Judi Dench). The threat appears to come from terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle), who has a bullet in the brain courtesy of MI6 that has made him immune to pain. Renard is playing the nuclear explosion card, which leads to Bond girl nuclear weapons expert Dr. Christmas (Denise Richards), who has minimal impact but seems attractive. She will see firsthand that there is some truth to Bond's fame. Danger !. Suspense !. Excitement !. There must be when he's around !. Some men want to rule the world... Some women ask for the world... Some believe the world is theirs for the taking... But for one man, The World Is Not Enough!!!As the countdown begins for the new millennium there is still one number you can always count on. Bond is Back.

This Bond entry contains sensational pursuits, frantic action-packed and stimulating set pieces. The World Is Not Enough(1999) begins with an exciting prologue that takes place in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, from where our protagonist already does some of his typical pirouettes and jumps from a building. Then a terrible attack takes place at the heart of MI6 itself, the famous British secret service. In front of the best secret agents, including Bond, a bomb explodes, killing one of the most important businessmen in the world, then 007 goes to action . Pierce Brosnan's third appearance as the agent with a license to kill, after ¨Goldeneye¨ (1996), ¨Tomorrow Never Dies¨ (1997) and before ¨Die Another Day¨ (2002).

The villain of this adventure is one of the most human of the series: Renard, a bad guy with an emotional side who is brought to life by Robert Carlyle. They are joined by Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench as M, John Cleese as R replacing Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the gadget master. This was Llewelyn's last appearance on the big screen since he died that same year in 1999. He was the actor who appeared the most times in James Bond films. And other secondaries such as: Samantha Bond as Moneypenny, Michael Kitchen, Colin Salmon, David Calder, Serena Scott Thomas, Patrick Malahide, Ulrich Thomsen, among others.

The numerous action scenes overwhelm the roles and Bond has little to contend with as the villains are pretty discreet. There are also the typical Bond girls: Sophie Marceau, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and Denise Richards, who, of course, fall for the charms of the handsome spy. There's a welcome darker edge to both Bond's character and the plot that the franchise should be built on, rather than trying to outdo his death-defying stunts every time. It contains spectacular and stirring musical score fitting to action by the always stunning David Arnold. And attractive song title: 'The World is not Enough' lyrics by Don Black performed by Garbage, along with the classic James Bond theme music by Monty Norman. Colorful and fascinating cinematography by cameraman Adrian Biddle. The motion picture produced by habitual producers, Eon, Albert R Broccoli, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson , being professionally directed by deceased filmmaker Michael Apted. He was a good director, producer of several successes ,such as ¨ ¨Gorillas in the mist¨ , ¨Class action¨, ¨Nell¨, ¨Enigma¨, ¨The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader¨, ¨The word is not enough¨, among others . The film will appeal to James Bond fans.